The District, through it’s tax, vacant, distressed and blighted property laws, owns a number of properties around the city. Over the years, different administrations have handled, and mis-handled these city-owned assets in a variety of ways. There have been sporadic sales, in a number of different forms, supposedly to meet various policy goals.

In 2008, the Council passed the District Opportunity to Purchase Act (DOPA). As the name suggests, DOPA gives the District the right to purchase residential buildings, in certain circumstances, where the owner seeks to sell to a third party. The 2008 Act left many open questions for the Agency to resolve by promulgating regulations. On December 22 2017, only nine (9) years later, DHCD has finally answered the bell, and published proposed regulations.

To run a restaurant, bar or any other business in the District for that matter, you need the approval of several government agencies, not just the ABC Board. Of course, you know that.

Yes, cups, innocuous plastic, Styrofoam, paper cups. If you are licensed to sell or serve alcohol, it is illegal for you to sell for a nominal charge or give away cups to your customers to consume alcohol off premises. To use the statutory language, it is a violation for an establishment to provide a customer “go-cups” which D.C. Code §25-101 defines as a “drinking utensil” at “no charge or a nominal charge” for the purpose of “consuming an alcoholic beverage off the premises.”